The present invention is directed toward an improved cove base and, more particularly, toward a cove base which is adapted to be secured to a wall base prior to the installation of a floor covering and which cooperates with the outer edges of the floor covering to give the same a finished look when installed.
Cove base or coving which is widely used today is comprised essentially of elongated flat strips of extruded vinyl. Conventional cove bases are normally approximately 1/12 to 1/8 inch thick and have a height of 21/2 to 6 inches. They are usually available in lengths of 4 feet or in rolls of substantially longer lengths.
There are generally two types of base cove currently available. The first is referred to as a "straight base" which is essentially a straight piece of vinyl. Straight base coving is normally applied to the wall base prior to the installation of carpeting or other floor covering. As the floor covering is installed, the outer edges thereof must be trimmed substantially perfectly so as to abut evenly against the coving. This can be extremely time consuming and requires the use of skilled labor.
A second type of coving which is currently widely used is referred to as a "top set" cove base. This is similar to the straight base but includes a rounded lip at the bottom thereof which extends forwardly by approximately 3/8 to 1/2 inch. With top set cove base, the carpeting or other floor covering material is first installed. The coving is then secured to the base of the walls with the rounded lip at the bottom thereof overlying the edges of the floor covering. Non-perfect or uneven edges of the carpeting or other floor covering are, therefore, hidden by the coving.
The top set cove base does not, however, give the same sharp, clean-cut appearance as the straight base and is, therefore, usually less desirable. Furthermore, care must be taken when installing the top set cove base to ensure that the adhesive which must be applied to the back of the coving does not soil or stain the carpeting. This, of course, is not a problem with the straight base coving since the vinyl coving is adhered to the walls before the floor covering is installed. Top set cove base also conforms to minor waves in the floor leaving a less than straight top edge.